KINGSTON, N.Y. -- Republican Terry Bernardo has launched her campaign for a third term as an Ulster County legislator with a birthday celebration fundraiser at the Accord Firehouse.

Bernardo, of Accord, who is currently the chairwoman of the Ulster County Legislature, will this year run with the public backing of gun rights advocates who are urging supporters to attend her annual birthday fundraiser and support her at the polls in November.

Bernardo's annual birthday bash will be held on Feb. 28, the same date as last year, which is her birthday.

This year, that date falls on the same day as a rally to be held in Albany calling for the repeal of the SAFE Act.

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The Hudson Valley Sportsman's website, which is organizing bus transportation to the Albany rally, is urging rally-goers to attend Bernardo's fundraiser and in a post on the site it states: "Terry has been doing a tremendous job fighting for our 2nd amendment rights and we cannot afford to lose her support if she is displaced. So please make it a point to help support her in prepping for the upcoming 2013 elections."

Bernardo's husband, Len, who is also an Accord Fire Department commissioner, said that since he and Terry Bernardo will take part in the rally it made sense to hold the fundraiser at the firehouse, which is also one of three bus pick-up/drop-off spots for the rally.

"That's why we chose there," said Len. "We figured if we're going to be dropped off there anyway, we'd just do it here."

"It doesn't make sense to be trucking back to Kingston to do the birthday party."

Bernardo's popularity with gun rights advocates emerged in the last few months as she first opposed a resolution calling for federal action to regulate gun sales and then endorsed a resolution opposing the state's new gun regulations.,

At a recent meeting of the Ulster County Legislature's Law Enforcement Committee, Bernardo's 15-minute history on state gun control efforts, during which she said that some of those efforts intended to reduce gun violence "have failed spectacularly," drew handshakes from many of those who attended the session.